Need help with editor problem!

[Lyeah]

Hi,
I had a template (.psd) file opened in the editor and I then opened a paper that I was going to drag into my template. I've done this lots and lots of times before, and I can't figure out what is happening this time! When I open the paper, it fills the screen so I then click on Window.....Images.....Tile and usually just drag the paper into the template.

But what is happening now, is that my template file drops down into the Photo Bin and my editor screen is blank. I try to click on View...fit on screen to make it pop back into the editor, but it won't do that or it will open back in the editor and as soon as I move my mouse, it drops back down into the photo bin.

I am ready to scream!!!! What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Becky

[Jeff Perry]

Lyeah, I'm not sure what type of template you have that is your "receiving" file, but here is the process that you can use to add one image file to another.

Open both files, the template and the "the paper" which for this instance we'll assume is a single layer. I'll assume the template is multi-layered for this example.

First, once open, every file should appear as a thumbnail in the Photo Bin. You can switch between files (activate one for editing) simply by double clicking on the file in the Bin, at it should appear in your work space.

Second, depending upon the image dimensions AND the image resolution of each file, they may not come together properly sized, so you will need to adjusted the image being moved to the template once it get's placed into the template.

One think to keep in mind with a layered template, is that the source image belong moved into the template will be placed in the layer stack above the active layer you are on when you leave that file to go get the the paper image. Obviously, you can move the layer once moved up or down in the stack.

Now, double click on the "paper" image to make it active in the work space, hit "V" or pick the Move tool, click on the image in the workspace and drag it down and drop it onto the template thumbnail in the Photo Bin.

Your target file (the template) should pop up into the active workspace and the moved layer should appear in the stack, but may or may not be visible at this moment depending on where it is in the stack.

Move it and resize as appropriate.

If your source "paper" image is multi-layered, you should flatten it first before moving, otherwise only the top most visible layer will be moved (if you want to move multiple layers, CTRL click the layers in the layers panel, then move all the layers in tact down to the template image in the Bin.

I tend not to have multiple images "tiled" in the workspace at the same time, but the principal is the same. Activate the source image, and with the move tool drag the source onto the target image (some people like to use Select All and then Cut and Past from the menus).

Jeff

[Lyeah]

Jeff,
Thank you for the detailed reply. I think my problem was with my computer. After my target file would not stay open in the editor workspace, I then started having weird things happening outside of Photoshop Elements so I rebooted my PC and the editor workspace problem was resolved. Thanks again.

Becky